The Greatest Need Of The Believer

Temple Baptist Church - 9-26-2010

Ephesians 5:18

Introduction:

A. One of the most misunderstood of all Bible doctrines is that of being filled with the Holy Ghost. Being filled with the Spirit is a direct command of God for the life of every believer. It is not optional!

B. What the filling of the Spirit is not:

1. It is not a second working of grace. Some teach that you get saved and then get filled with the Holy Ghost later. When you get saved, you are as full of the Holy Ghost as you will ever get. You spend the rest of your life trying to be continually filled.

2. It is not some charismatic experience or gift whereby the Holy Ghost “jumps on someone” and they roll on the floor—get slain in the Spirit—speak in an unknown tongue—bark like a dog—laugh uncontrollably—fall into a trance—or anything else that causes someone to lose control of their senses.

3. It is not lying on your father’s grave until the power comes or praying through until the Holy Ghost takes complete control of you in some mystical manner.

4. It is not an act of God whereby He takes control of someone! It is an act of the believer whereby he or she gives themselves completely over to the will of God and thereby giving Him control of self.

5. It is not “Spirit baptism.” At the moment of salvation, we are all baptized into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). This baptism is a one-time event; this baptism is an act of God; this baptism is simultaneous with conversion.

C. The Holy Ghost indwells every believer! The Bible declares that if any man has not the Spirit of God, he is not saved!

1. The Holy Ghost Indwells Us For Identification - Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (He gives assurance and brings about sanctification.)

2. The Holy Ghost Indwells Us For Liberation - 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (We are free from the bondage of sin. Sin no longer has dominion over us.)

3. The Holy Ghost Indwells Us For Preservation - Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (He is the “earnest” of our redemption until God calls us home.)

D. We are not “filled with the Spirit” for a sign, shout, or show. We are filled with the Spirit for sanctification and service. This filling of the Spirit comes through cleansing from sin and consecration to the will of God in our lives.

E. Some of the results of being filled with the Spirit:

1. Fruit Bearing - Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Three inward; three outward; and three upward. Fruit, more fruit, and much fruit according to John 15.)

2. Submission - Ephesians 5:19-21 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (20) Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (21) Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. (Submission to each other; submission to the Word of God; submission to the man of God; submission to the ordinances of man.)

3. Witnessing - Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (There will be an outward manifestation of in inward joy that will be obvious to those around us as well as a desire to share our faith with others.)

4. Faithfulness - Acts 2:41-42 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (42) And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Our unfaithfulness is in direct proportion to our spiritual condition. Unfaithful is unfilled!)

5. Fellowship - 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (Spirit filled believers love one another!)